Williams calls on Administration to stop neglecting Fort Hood attack victims

Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25), along with Congressman John Carter (TX-31), sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel demanding the Department of Defense (DoD) to follow through with a law requiring a Purple Heart review.  The 2014 National Defense Authorization Act mandates that Congress receive a report of the review of the Purple Heart award for the victims of the 2009 terrorist attack on Fort Hood no later than 180 days after the law was enacted.

Secretary Hagel and the DoD announced they have delayed the review for another year, leaving the victims of the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood ineligible for the Purple Heart indefinitely.

Rep. Williams, along with Rep. Carter who has championed legislation to help the soldiers for nearly four years, send a letter to Secretary Hagel demanding the report be submitted on time, as the law requires. Excerpts are below, and the letter can be viewed here.

“We were very disappointed to see you have chosen not to obey the law,” write the Congressmen.  “This is unacceptable…Almost five years after the attack, we find it absurd that the Department of Defense needs yet another additional year to clarify if the victims are eligible for the Purple Heart.  These men and women proudly wore the United States Army uniform and placed their trust in the Army and the Department.  Five years after this tragic event the Department of Defense has failed them.”

# # #